Since the purpose of the blog is to document our writing process and learning, I thought I would use an identification piece as my first entry. The ‘Seeing Yourself as a Writer’ project is described (through a figure of example questions) within Fernsten and Reda’s article, “Helping Students Meet the Challenges of Academic Writing.”  A portion of this project involves having a writer identify the difference between his/her ideal and typical writing practices, which I have completed below.

Seeing Yourself Writing

Imagine your ideal writing space – the place you would write the most productively, the most beautifully, with the greatest ease. What does that space look like, feel like, sound like? What do you look like? What are you wearing? What is the expression on your face? What are you doing?  My ideal writing space is in the comfort of my home. The windows are open and the sounds and smells of our outdoor space are flooding in around me.  I’m on the couch – laptop literally on my lap. My hair is in an effortless bun at the top of my head. I’m wearing my glasses, a tank top and my favourite ‘go-to’ sweatpants. There is a delicious, freshly brewed cup coffee within an arm’s reach. My face is soft. Most notably, I’m the only one home.

Now think about a typical writing situation for you and ask yourself those same questions. A typical writing situation involves my workspace, which is a college campus.  I’m sitting either in a cubicle (my office) or a computer lab (my classroom).  I hear other people in conversation and the clicking noise of keyboards. It’s cold; the air conditioning is pumping in overhead. I’m hungry. I feel rushed. My eyebrows move close together in an expression of deep thought, or worry. I complete a sentence and look to the clock. 

What are the differences? What might be the effect of these differences? To summarize the differences, my ideal writing space is relaxed and free of distraction, while my typical writing space evokes stress and discomfort. This reflection reiterates to me that my writing process is positively and negatively influenced by my environment and the head space that I create for myself. I will consider the implications of this thought as I dedicate time and space to each assignment in MAIS 606.

Works Cited

Fernsten, Linda and Mary Reda. “Helping Students Meet The Challenges Of Academic Writing.”  Teaching In Higher Education 16:2 (2011): 171-182. Taylor & Francis Online. Web. 30 May 2016.